Revision as of 03:05, 30 March 2013

Variant Pokémon are Pokémon who vary in their appearance compared to other Pokémon of the same species. This is often due to gender, special traits and Abilities, diet or environmental factors such as climate. Certain symbiotic relationships may also play a role in this.

While many variances are caused by natural processes, they sometimes can be artificially invoked as well. This may be achieved through the use of physical modifications or behavioral conditioning, or contact with certain items and radiation.

Mirage Pokémon

Toy Pokémon

Toy Pokémon are Pokémon toys given self-awareness by Wonder Keys that appear in the Pokémon Rumble series. They are different to normal Pokémon in many ways; for example, they can only know two moves at a time.

Individual species

Arbok

The Generation IPokédex entries for Arbok state that there are six variations of markings on its belly that differ between areas. Eight designs are known, but only four have appeared in the games, and only three of which appeared in main series games. In Pokémon Adventures, Arbok gains a special ability depending on its pattern.

The most common variation has teardrop-shaped eye-like marks, a black mouth-like mark, and a black arrowhead mark with a tail extending towards Arbok's face. This design appeared in the Generation I games and all games from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen on, the anime, the manga (except Agatha's Arbok in Pokémon Adventures), most TCG art, the FireRed and LeafGreen Ken Sugimori art, Dream World art, and anime art. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, this is the regenerative pattern and is used by Koga's Arbok. These Arbok have a forked tongue and many fangs.

Arbok also has several variations with circular eye-like marks and a red-filled mouth-like mark with a black outline. The most common variation of this has two black fang-like marks descending onto its mouth-like mark, black eyebrow-like marks above each of its eye-like marks, and outward-pointing "eyelashes" on its eye-like marks. This design first appeared in the official Pokémon Red and Green Ken Sugimori artwork, and has also appeared in the Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald sprites, the TCG cards Arbok from Fossil, Arbok from Expedition, and Janine's Arbok from the VS set. These Arbok have a pointed tongue and four fangs.

The final circular eye-like mark variation appeared solely in Pokémon Ranger. This design has no "eyelashes" on the eye-like marks and no fang-like marks on the mouth-like mark. It has three lines intersecting in the middle of the chest; two of these lines continue above each eye-like mark, while one connects from the middle to the mouth-like mark. At the end of the two upper lines are wide ends with semicircles removed from the ends. In the gaps created here is a small black dot on either side. These Arbok have four fangs.

Arbok's conceptual art had three other designs, but these were only used in the Pokémon Adventures manga, in which Agatha's Arbok's markings can be changed, altering its powers. These are the speed pattern, attack pattern, and invulnerability pattern.

A pattern with evil appearance was created by Mitsuhiro Arita solely for the TCG. It has two red eye-like marks with black marks in the middle and a combined yellow border. Its mouth-like mark represents a grin with eleven pointed teeth in red. It is featured in the card Dark Arbok from the Team Rocket set.

Main pattern;Regenerative pattern

Main circular pattern

Spr 2c 024.gif

Secondary circular pattern

Pattern from Pokémon Ranger

Conceptual art;Invulnerability pattern

Conceptual art;Attack pattern

Conceptual art;Speed pattern

Dark Arbok (TCG)

Pikachu

Almost every Pokémon medium has featured a different Pikachu variant, most notably Surfing and Flying Pikachu.

Shellder

Shellder can be either a bivalve shell or a spiral-shaped shell, depending on whether or not it is attached to a Slowpoke. Though impossible in the games, multiple Pokédex entries state that a Shellder can be detached from the Slowbro (making it devolve into a Slowpoke) or Slowking (making it lose its memory) it is attached to. This gives them a few more characteristics of Shellder variants than actual evolutions. However, because the Shellder is attached to and evolves with the Slowpoke, after evolution they are treated as one Pokémon. Slowbro's conceptual art depicted other variations, but they were never seen anywhere else.

Shellder

Spiral Shellder

Crown Shellder

Slowbro's conceptual art

Exeggcute and Exeggutor

Exeggcute are not always seen as a group of six; the number of heads an Exeggutor also varies. Exeggutor's Pokédex entries state that, living in a good environment, more heads will grow in addition to the three it is usually seen with. Eventually, one of the heads will fall off and become a sole Exeggcute. This Exeggcute will telepathically comunicate with others, in order to join and form a cluster of six. Until they are gathered, Exeggcute won't be able to maintain balance.

Ditto

Ditto is known for its ability to transform into an exact replica of any other Pokémon. However, one of Duplica's Ditto was incapable of changing its face, with the result being a deformed replica of the target Pokémon with a blank, beady-eyed expression. This same appearance was present in Ditto cards from the EX Delta Species expansion of the TCG, as well as in a kind of Clefairy that appears in the Veilstone Game Corner.

Snorlax

Spinda

Like Unown, Spinda has many visual variations in its species, all involving the placement of its spots. Like Unown's letter, the spot placement is generated based on the individual's personality value, and likewise, has no effect on the Pokémon's stats. Unlike Unown, however, these differences are rarely repeated, as the calculation uses the entirety of the personality value—a number that can range from zero to 4,294,967,295 (232 - 1).

Arceus

Arceus has seventeen different type variatons, which correspend to the seventeen different types.

Arceus's transformation between these forms is brought about by its held item: if it is holding a Plate, it draws its type from that Plate as stated in Sinnoh's mythology, while remaining Normal-type when not holding a Plate.

In the Generation IV games, there is dummy data and a sprite programmed for a ???-typeArceus, but it cannot be obtained as there is no ???-type Plate. This data no longer exists in Generation V due to the removal of the ??? type.

While its base stats remain constant despite its changing type, its Pokéathlon performance changes slightly. Additionally, it can learn Draco Meteor only while holding the Draco Plate.

Genesect

In the games, the Drive on Genesect's back is visibly depicted on its sprite depending on which Drive it holds. However, this does not change Genesect's type, but rather the type of the move Techno Blast. If it lacks a Drive, it will be Normal-type and show a dark yellow Drive connected to it. The four Drives that can be equipped are the Shock, Burn, Chill, and Douse Drive, which make Techno Blast Electric, Fire, Ice, and Water-type, respectively. Otherwise, the change is purely cosmetic.

Unseen variants

Some variants have only been mentioned in Pokédex entries; Pokémon of these variants have not been shown in any Pokémon media.

In Vulpix's Pokédex entries, it is said to be born with a single, white-colored tail. It splits into six tails as it grows, and eventually splits from their tips to increase in number even more.

The Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum Pokédex entries for Weezing state that triplets have been discovered. A third section of Weezing (without a face) appears on every Weezing seen so far.

Mantyke's Pokédex entry in Pearl says that the special patterns on its back vary from region to region. While there is no difference between Sinnoh and Johto games, the Unova games have the "eyes" on its back slightly farther apart.

Crystal Onix

Crystal Onix is a special individual Onix that lives on Sunburst Island. Its body is made out of glass crystal. Due to being made out of crystal, it is no longer weak to Water-type attacks and instead weak to Fire-type attacks.